Red Lady
N i n e
-9-
Dominic
The smell of the white flowers in my hand tickled my nose, making me want to sneeze. I suffered as it continued to torture my nose, but I dealt with it. These were for Su, and I’m sure she would like them.
I walked out as soon as the elevator doors opened and looked around quickly for room 424. It didn’t take long to find and I slid the glass doors open.
“Hey Su.”
Silence met my greeting. I walked closer to my sister and saw her chest rising up and down, her breathing normal and her face neutral, no sign of pain at all. I laid the flowers at the foot of her bed before sitting in the chair that was close to her right side. I grabbed her small hand in my own, covering it completely. Hers was cold, as they usually were. I smiled and squeezed it tight. I stroked her soft hand before I started to talk to her unresponsive form.
“You’re looking good for someone who got shot not too long ago,” I said, looking at her bandaged shoulder. I wondered how large the hole was and how long it was going to take to heal. Probably months, seeing as it splintered the scapula.
I sighed and held her hand up to my mouth. “Once you’re finally awake and feeling better, you’re totally grounded. You’re never allowed to leave the house again.”
In my mind, I could see her sitting here in the bed, rolling her eyes and telling me that I couldn’t control her. A smile graced my lips and I kissed Su’s hand. Pressing it against my forehead, I closed my eyes and did something that I hadn’t in a long time.
I prayed.
-------------
Eden
My breathing had become hard and ragged, and I had never appreciated air more than at this moment in time. I looked out from behind the red brick wall I had just ducked behind, searching for the large and bulky man that had been chasing me through the streets of Waterford. I was pretty cure that I had lost him a couple blocks back, but you were better safe than sorry when you were up against a fully trained assassin.
Thankfully, he had been much older than my eighteen year old self and probably didn’t have as much stamina as he once did. But me? I was in my prime.
I ran a hand down my face, exhaling a large sigh. This damn man had been putting a halt to my killing attacks for the complete month for the final, and I was getting desperate. If I didn’t kill that woman soon, then I would automatically fail, and who knows what would happen to me. Dying to kill the target was not an option either. I would not be like the countless who had already been slain.
I wiped the sweat from my face as I walked away from my hiding place and started heading toward my temporary housing. Many things were zooming through my mind at this moment, and I was having problems separating my thoughts. How many times had I tried and failed to kill my target? How many times had I been so close, but ended up being foiled. How many tries did I have left before my time was up?
Frustrated, I swung my right fist into the wall beside me with a curse, causing a few people to send stares my way. My hand now ached with pain, but I didn't care. What the hell could I do to pass this damn test? All I had been left with was a crummy pistol and my knowledge, as if that was enough.
Soon, I turned down a familiar corner of the ghetto like streets that I had been forced to live in. I had passed this place many times during the month, but I had never really taken in my surroundings. There were deceiving looking people everywhere, plotting their next scam to get them rich quick, while there were others who cowered in fear, digging in trash cans to survive. All of this was completely pathetic. My blue eyes then fell upon a place with fading neon lights that read out 'gun emporium'. It was highly doubtful that they had a great expanse of differing guns, but a smirk lit up my face anyway. Any gun was better than the one I was carrying right now, but it could be of some use while I robbed the owner of his stock.
Taking out the pistol I had hidden in my shoulder holster, I calmly walked into the dimmly lightened store and assesed my surroundings. A multitude of varying weapons were propped up on the walls, dust settling on a few who had been there too long. One instantly caught my attention, and that was the M95 that was hanging on the wall on the far right of the building. I walked over to it and stroked the cool metal.
"Ah, I see you've gotten attached to Betsy here. A fine one she is."
Betsy? I had thought at the time. The gun looks more like a Maria.
"She's one of my favorites, it would be hard to let her go. But... For the right price, I think I could make an arrangement for you."
The smirk returned to my face as I gripped the pistol in my hand and turned around with it pointed in the man's face.
"Is your life the right price?"
It had been the right price for him, and he willingly gave me the sniper. Unfortunately, I couldn't let him inform anyone I was here, so I left his dead body bleeding on the floor. As I was on my way out, I thought of what a waste those weapons would be if I left them there, so I grabbed the ones that would be of use to me and walked to my apartment.
"Wakey, wakey sunshine," I heard from above me, causing me to groggily open my eyes as Donavan shook my body.
I sat up in my bed and rubbed my eyes, giving the man a tired glare. He gave me a smile before asking me "You were grinning in your sleep. What were you dreaming about?"
"A very good memory."
"Maybe you'll dream about this moment in the future."
"Why would I?"
His smile grew even wider. "Because we're breaking you out of here."
Dominic
The smell of the white flowers in my hand tickled my nose, making me want to sneeze. I suffered as it continued to torture my nose, but I dealt with it. These were for Su, and I’m sure she would like them.
I walked out as soon as the elevator doors opened and looked around quickly for room 424. It didn’t take long to find and I slid the glass doors open.
“Hey Su.”
Silence met my greeting. I walked closer to my sister and saw her chest rising up and down, her breathing normal and her face neutral, no sign of pain at all. I laid the flowers at the foot of her bed before sitting in the chair that was close to her right side. I grabbed her small hand in my own, covering it completely. Hers was cold, as they usually were. I smiled and squeezed it tight. I stroked her soft hand before I started to talk to her unresponsive form.
“You’re looking good for someone who got shot not too long ago,” I said, looking at her bandaged shoulder. I wondered how large the hole was and how long it was going to take to heal. Probably months, seeing as it splintered the scapula.
I sighed and held her hand up to my mouth. “Once you’re finally awake and feeling better, you’re totally grounded. You’re never allowed to leave the house again.”
In my mind, I could see her sitting here in the bed, rolling her eyes and telling me that I couldn’t control her. A smile graced my lips and I kissed Su’s hand. Pressing it against my forehead, I closed my eyes and did something that I hadn’t in a long time.
I prayed.
-------------
Eden
My breathing had become hard and ragged, and I had never appreciated air more than at this moment in time. I looked out from behind the red brick wall I had just ducked behind, searching for the large and bulky man that had been chasing me through the streets of Waterford. I was pretty cure that I had lost him a couple blocks back, but you were better safe than sorry when you were up against a fully trained assassin.
Thankfully, he had been much older than my eighteen year old self and probably didn’t have as much stamina as he once did. But me? I was in my prime.
I ran a hand down my face, exhaling a large sigh. This damn man had been putting a halt to my killing attacks for the complete month for the final, and I was getting desperate. If I didn’t kill that woman soon, then I would automatically fail, and who knows what would happen to me. Dying to kill the target was not an option either. I would not be like the countless who had already been slain.
I wiped the sweat from my face as I walked away from my hiding place and started heading toward my temporary housing. Many things were zooming through my mind at this moment, and I was having problems separating my thoughts. How many times had I tried and failed to kill my target? How many times had I been so close, but ended up being foiled. How many tries did I have left before my time was up?
Frustrated, I swung my right fist into the wall beside me with a curse, causing a few people to send stares my way. My hand now ached with pain, but I didn't care. What the hell could I do to pass this damn test? All I had been left with was a crummy pistol and my knowledge, as if that was enough.
Soon, I turned down a familiar corner of the ghetto like streets that I had been forced to live in. I had passed this place many times during the month, but I had never really taken in my surroundings. There were deceiving looking people everywhere, plotting their next scam to get them rich quick, while there were others who cowered in fear, digging in trash cans to survive. All of this was completely pathetic. My blue eyes then fell upon a place with fading neon lights that read out 'gun emporium'. It was highly doubtful that they had a great expanse of differing guns, but a smirk lit up my face anyway. Any gun was better than the one I was carrying right now, but it could be of some use while I robbed the owner of his stock.
Taking out the pistol I had hidden in my shoulder holster, I calmly walked into the dimmly lightened store and assesed my surroundings. A multitude of varying weapons were propped up on the walls, dust settling on a few who had been there too long. One instantly caught my attention, and that was the M95 that was hanging on the wall on the far right of the building. I walked over to it and stroked the cool metal.
"Ah, I see you've gotten attached to Betsy here. A fine one she is."
Betsy? I had thought at the time. The gun looks more like a Maria.
"She's one of my favorites, it would be hard to let her go. But... For the right price, I think I could make an arrangement for you."
The smirk returned to my face as I gripped the pistol in my hand and turned around with it pointed in the man's face.
"Is your life the right price?"
It had been the right price for him, and he willingly gave me the sniper. Unfortunately, I couldn't let him inform anyone I was here, so I left his dead body bleeding on the floor. As I was on my way out, I thought of what a waste those weapons would be if I left them there, so I grabbed the ones that would be of use to me and walked to my apartment.
"Wakey, wakey sunshine," I heard from above me, causing me to groggily open my eyes as Donavan shook my body.
I sat up in my bed and rubbed my eyes, giving the man a tired glare. He gave me a smile before asking me "You were grinning in your sleep. What were you dreaming about?"
"A very good memory."
"Maybe you'll dream about this moment in the future."
"Why would I?"
His smile grew even wider. "Because we're breaking you out of here."